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Nick Mike-Mayer

Sport: Football

Born: March 1, 1950

Town: Passaic

Nicholas Mike-Mayer was born March 1, 1950 in Bologna, Italy and moved with his family to New Jersey when he was 13. The family was originally Hungarian, but fled the country after World War II when it became a Soviet satellite state. As a boy growing up in Salerno, Nick and his brothers Steve and Frank played a lot of soccer. Their father had played the game professionally in his native country. After moving to Passaic in 1964 and enrolling at Passaic High School, the brothers were surprised to find that the school did not have a soccer team.

A gym teacher asked Nick’s class if anyone would be interested in trying out for kicker on the football team. So that fall, Nick learned a new language and a new sport. Short and solidly built, with a powerful right leg, he excelled at the position.

By Nick’s senior year, soccer-style kickers were all the rage, and he was on several college recruiting lists. He got a full ride to Temple, and helped the team go 20–7–1 in three varsity seasons under coach Wayne Harden. Nick’s brother, meanwhile, earned a scholarship to Maryland. Although he was three years older than Nick, he did not graduate until 1975, two years after Nick.

The Atlanta Falcons made Nick the second kicker drafted in 1973, taking him in the 10th round. Nick began his career with a splash, booting 8 PATs on opening day in a 62–7 rout of the Saints. In a critical matchup with the division-leading Rams in November, he scored all of Atlanta’s points in a 15–13 victory. That year he also broke the team record with a 52-yard field goal. In all, Nick connected on 68% of his three-point attempts as a rookie, as the Falcons went 9–5. Only a pair of December losses prevented them from making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. After the season, he was picked for the Pro Bowl and earned All-NFC honors.

The Falcons finally made the playoffs in 1978, but Nick was not around to enjoy it. He was traded to the Eagles midway through the campaign. After spending 1979 in Philadelphia, Nick landed in Buffalo with the Bills. He helped the team make the playoffs in 1980 and 1981. The 1982 season was Nick’s last in the NFL.

Nick played Arena Football in San Antonio later in the 1980s, and settled there to become a teacher. Nick’s sons, Nick Jr. and David, were successful college placekickers in the 1990s.

 

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